


< King and Lionheart >

by TheBrilliantLoser



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Animorphs - Freeform, Coming of Age, Gen, Gen Work, Growing Up, Loss of Innocence, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-11
Updated: 2013-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 22:03:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/679357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrilliantLoser/pseuds/TheBrilliantLoser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake Berenson and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill reflect on their loss of childhood innocence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	< King and Lionheart >

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by 'King and Lionheart' by _Of Monsters and Men._

I stood, looking over the carnage and wreckage of another battle. How many had this been? I’d lost count a long time ago. No, not a long time ago. How long had it been since I’d walked through the construction site with the others? Two years? Three? Seems like forever ago. The others had all gone home to clean up before more Controllers were sent to clean up the mess. I should go to. But I didn’t. I stayed, and I looked at the bloody, torn scene.

I stayed just for a minute. I heard someone approach from behind me and tensed. I began to concentrate on the tiger, my tiger, to rip their throat out. My eye sight intensified in the gloom, and I felt my legs shortening. I turned, and prepared to slash my still-forming claws at the enemy. < Prince Jake, we should leave promptly. > A large blue and tan figure stepped forward. Ax. I relaxed somewhat and began to demorph. “Sorry Ax, I didn't know it was-“

< I understand. > he replied solemnly.

How wrong this was struck me, and not for the first time. When had I begun to refer to the animorphs- no, not the animorphs. When had I begun to call myfriends soldiers? When had I begun develop plans and strategies to effectively neutralize-no, kill the most enemies while avoiding killing my own soldie-, er, my own friends? At what point did it stop hurting me to rip the throat out of a taxxon?, A hork-bajir?

A human?

During the beginning, I felt bad for simply lying. Hah. Little Jake Berenson who’s greatest worry involved a sport died a long, long time ago. 

I gazed over the smoldering wreckage again I turned to Ax. He was looking at the chaos too. When I first met him, he was actually shorter than me and still had sort of faded tan spots and really long legs. I guess we’re about the same age, actually. Never really thought about that. Now he stood tall with an intimidating tail-blade dripping with hork-bajir blood. He looked a lot like the doomed Andalite war prince from so many years ago. He looked like his older brother, Elfangor, who died without any mercy at the Visser’s morphed jaws. 

I saw a human-controller dragging himself out of the wreckage. He’d somehow survived, and was stumbling, crawling away from us. He must have heard something, because he turned. I saw the pain in his eyes. I saw the realization. I looked to Ax. He tensed slightly and gave a silent nod. 

FWAPP! 

There was no more realization in the controller’s eyes. 

Ax silently wiped his blade in the grass.

”Back when I was in elementary school, I learned about Richard the Lionheart. I learned about what a great military leader he was, and what a brave warrior he was. I wondered what it would be like to be such a brave commander, to charge into battle and defeat my enemies. I thought it would be great.” We began to walk away from the carnage. Others would come to clean this up soon. I had to leave. I turned, and began to walk away, Ax walking alongside. “What happened to us, Ax?” I asked. He paused for a moment.

< ….Prince Jake, I believe we grew up. > he replied.

Huh. “This isn’t how I thought it would feel” I said.

< Me neither > he replied. 

< We may still have a chance, Jake- > Ax offered. 

{ The Andalite fleet may still make it in time. We may still win. } I slumped. Yes, I could still hope for that. It was an impossible hope, they didn’t care for us. They’d destroy us like they destroyed the Hork-Bajir. But we may win. “You know, sometimes winning… winning is no fun at all.” I admitted. 

{ Yes. } he agreed. 

Minutes later, two raptors took flight.


End file.
